


Thor the Dragon Slayer

by kaleidomusings



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 13:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3898843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor is one of the greatest dragon slayers the kingdom has ever known, just like his father before him. And when he hears of a particularly fierce dragon terrorizing a small town, he goes to investigate, determined to slay the beast if he has to. But he soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that the true danger is even more terrible than he suspected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thor the Dragon Slayer

Thor was used to parades with music and dancing to welcome him wherever he went. But in this town there were no songs or dancers waiting for him. In fact, despite being one of the greatest dragon slayers and living legend -just like his father before him- the only ones to witness Thor's arrival were old shepherds and their flocks, studying him warily and refusing to respond to his greetings. Even the innkeeper denied him and his horse room and board for the night, looking at Thor like he was a beggar darkening his door. 

"We have no rooms for the likes of you," he said gruffly. 

Thor frowned as others brushed past him and the innkeeper provided them with a room key without fuss. The insult hurt, especially when the innkeeper's wife steps out of the back room, gripping a frying pan in one hand and a hard glint in her eye that dared him to try anything. Thor knew he could easily best her and everyone else who looked at him suspiciously, but he also knew when to pick his battles and decided the best way to deal with hostile townsfolk was to not engage them. Besides, he was tired from his long journey. He left, thinking that maybe after he rested, he would feel more inclined to be patient.

It was a cold night and there was heavy fog in the air, but the sky was clear with the moon shining bright. Thor was used to harsher conditions than this, so while he didn't particularly want to sleep out in the open, it might be the best option for him and his horse tonight. He led Mjolnir to the outskirts of town to look for a place to set up camp, when a small figure ducked out of the woods. Mjolnir reared with his ears back and his front hooves held high, and the boy -because anyone with such a stature could only be a boy- wasn't quick enough to move out of the way. Thor yanked hard on Mjolnir's reins to turn him around and avoid crushing the boy with his hooves, but was thrown from the saddle as a result. The fall knocked the wind out of him, but fortunately Thor was mostly unharmed. Still, the boy rushed to his aid as if it had and hovered over him anxiously. 

"Are you all right?" the boy asked in a voice that was deeper than Thor would expect from one so small. "Sir, you're bleeding."

Thor pressed his fingers to his forehead and found them come away bloody. Oh. Perhaps he wasn't as unscathed as he thought. But even though it hurt, it didn't seem too serious. He would live. "My horse-"

"I'll fetch him," the boy said and carefully approached Mjolnir, pacing a short distance away. Mjolnir's ears folded back and snapped his teeth, but the boy started speaking softly until Mjolnir calmed down enough for him to grab the reins. 

"You have a way with animals," Thor said when the boy brought Mjolnir closer to him. 

He meant it kindly, but the boy scowled like there was a bitter taste in his mouth. 

"My apologizes," Thor said after a long moment, taken aback from the reaction. Was it because he was an outsider? "Mjolnir can be difficult to handle, even for me. But most of the time he will behave himself. He only acts in such a manner when-" He stopped suddenly, a thought striking him speechless. 

Mjolnir only acted in such a manner when there was a dragon close by. 

"You may have hit your head harder than you realize, sir," the boy said at last, when he stayed quiet for too long. "Shall I take you to the inn?"

Thor shook his head, which probably wasn't a good idea with a head injury, if the boy's wince was anything to go by. "I was turned away," he said. But he couldn't leave the boy even if he hadn't been. This boy must had encountered a dragon fairly recently for the smell to still linger so that Mjolnir would go on the offensive. And Thor wanted to find out how and why. He supposed the boy himself could be the dragon, as they were masters of disguises, but Thor would have been able to sense a spell at work if that were the case. 

The boy grumbled spiteful things about the innkeeper and his wife before sighing heavily. "Then you can stay with me for the night. But just for tonight."

"I'm much obliged," Thor said, touched by the offer, no matter how reluctant it was. And, if it made his hunt a little easier, all the better. "I am Thor, son of Odin."

"I'm Steve," the boy said, suddenly looking a little pale at the mention of Thor's name. He led Thor to a small cottage, a modest little place that hardly seemed to fit Steve comfortably, much less Thor, but he wasn't about to complain when there was a roof over his head and a barn for Mjolnir to stay in. 

Steve lit a fire in the hearth for Thor and hurried to the barn, where he tended to Mjolnir. Once he returned, he set water to a boil and helped clean the blood off Thor's face with a clean cloth. His hands were warm and gentle, with long graceful fingers. Thor studied Steve's small frame in the firelight and it occurred to him that Steve might actually be older than his size seems to suggest. But he was a beautiful boy, with stunning eyes and soft looking hair. 

A strange thought came to Thor then. One that filled him with the need to take Steve away and keep him all to himself. It alarmed him, so to distract himself from it, Thor asked, "Do you live alone, Steven?" Perhaps it didn't really help in terms of the deterring his thoughts the way they were going, but Steve didn't have to know that.

Steve paused, a beat too long to be convincing, and said, "Yes. It's just me."

Thor knew he was lying, but decided not to push for the time being. Instead, he ate the watered down soup and stale bread Steve provided. It was hardly a satisfying meal, but from the meager belongings Steve had, it was obvious that he was being as hospitable as possible. Thor thanked him for the meal and felt a sense of feverish pleasure when he let his hand linger over Steve's before he cleared the dishes away. Steve's cheeks turned a rosy pink and Thor smiled, completely taken with such a treasure hiding in this strange and hostile town. 

"Forgive me," Steve said in a pointed way that meant he hope Thor take offense. But it didn't discourage him one bit. "What brings you here? A man of your stature seems out of place in an insignificant town like this one."

"I am on a mission of utmost importance," Thor said and noticed the way Steve tensed. "One that I must keep secret."

Steve nodded, forcing a smile. "Of course."

Despite Thor's protests, Steve had him take the bed while he slept outside in the barn. Thor agreed, only because he knew Steve would use it as an opportunity to sneak away. 

Thor feigned sleep for a couple of hours until he heard a soft noise and rose just in time to see Steve disappearing into the woods. Thor armed himself and followed Steve to a cave hidden from sight by vines hanging off the rock face. 

"It's too dangerous for you here," he heard Steve say from the mouth of the cave. "The villagers aren't happy and there's a dragon slayer after you. You need to leave."

"Where will I go?" The voice that answered immediately awoke all of Thor's fighting instincts. It was more melodic than any dragon he had heard before, but that meant little when it had claws and teeth that could rip him to shreds if he wasn't careful. "Hydra stole my magic and damaged my wings. That is the only reason I am rotting in this cave instead of rejoining my family."

Steve's voice wavered. "But there has to be a way-"

"No, little one." There was something almost like fondness in the dragon's tone. "If the townspeople do not find me, the slayer will. I only ask that you keep my treasure safe when that time comes."

Just as Thor was wondering if he should reveal himself or choose another time when Steve would not have to witness the dragon's death, the voice spoke to him, but not aloud. It conversed with him in his mind, a weighty presence at the back of his thoughts. 

_Slayer, can you hear me?_

It took him by surprise, because few who could use magic to form thoughts into words and he never expected dragon to be capable of it. _I can hear you,_ he replied.  

 _This boy has done nothing wrong except show mercy to a miserable creature like myself,_ the creature said. _Do not punish him for his kindness._

And Thor, who had never sympathized with a dragon before, was astonished that the creature was trying to protect Steve. _Of course I wouldn't, but-_

_I will explain everything to you, but not now. Come again tomorrow night when the boy is asleep._

Thor agreed, half convinced this was all some sort of surreal dream, while the other half of him was wary of a trap. He wasn't foolish enough to trust a dragon of course, but there must be a reason Steve was helping it. It may not be enough for Thor to believe in, but he was curious enough to investigate. 

Before the sun had even began to rise in the early morning sky, Thor managed to slip back into bed just as Steve snuck inside the cottage and closed the door quietly behind him. He curled up on the floor and fell asleep almost instantly, so Thor grabbed the blankets and tucked them carefully around him. He stared down at Steve for a long moment, overcome with the urge to run his fingers through Steve's hair and see if it was as soft as it looked, but reluctantly drew his hand back before he can.

After all, he had no right, not when he was surely going to hurt Steve in ways he would never be forgiven.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is one of the many that I have sitting on my computer, but thought I would share anyway. I'm hoping that posting them will give me the incentive to eventually finish them. We'll see if that works. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it so far! Please leave kudos and/or comments if you think that I should finish it. Thank you!


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